UMSON’s Nicole E. Smith Named Co-Director of Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program

Baltimore, Md. - Nicole E. Smith, PhD, MS ’14, RN, CNE, CHSE, CNE-cl, assistant professor, has been named co-director of the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) entry Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.

As co-director, Smith will share responsibilities for leading the program with Hannah Murphy Buc, PhD, RN, CNE, assistant professor and director of restorative justice.

“Given the growth in the BSN program at USG and in Baltimore, with an enrollment of now more than 780 students, this is an optimal time to expand the academic and administrative resources for our new-to-nursing students at both sites,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing, in announcing Smith’s appointment.

As co-directors, Smith and Murphy Buc will work with faculty, staff, students, and community and clinical partners to continue developing and implementing a revised BSN curriculum based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s new Essentials, which provides a framework for incorporating competency-based education for practice-ready graduates. UMSON is a national leader in implementing the revised curriculum, which took effect in fall 2022.

They will also identify priorities and guide the program’s faculty development, student inclusion and success, and partnerships with community stakeholders. These efforts are aimed at continuing to create meaningful and engaging opportunities for students that also contribute to improving health care quality, equity, and outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. 

UMSON’s entry BSN program is tied for a ranking of No. 10 in the nation, and No. 3 among public schools of nursing, by U.S. News & World Report. The program prepares students to excel in nursing careers across a broad spectrum of acute, chronic, and community-based settings. 

Smith joined the UMSON faculty at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) in 2014 as a clinical instructor and clinical simulation laboratory coordinator, having previously served as a graduate teaching assistant. She was promoted to assistant professor in 2021, following receipt of her doctoral degree. During her tenure, she has served in didactic, clinical, lab, and simulation capacities. In 2016, she was recognized with the UMSON Excellence in Teaching Award for Undergraduate Teaching, voted on by students. In that same year, she received the New Faculty Award given by UMSON faculty to a colleague within the first two years of their faculty appointment. In 2023, she received the Kendall Service Excellence in Teaching Award at USG.

Smith earned her PhD in nursing education from the Mercer University Georgia Baptist College of Nursing in Atlanta, where she was a Jonas Nurse Leader. She earned her Master of Science in Health Services Leadership and Management, with an education focus, from UMSON and her BSN from North Carolina A&T State University. She also brings more than a decade of experience as a medical-surgical clinical nurse at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., where she was recognized as the 2012 Nurse of the Year.

Smith is credentialed by the National League for Nursing (NLN) as a certified nurse educator and a certified academic clinical nurse educator. She is also credentialed as a certified healthcare simulation educator by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and is a past recipient of the Maryland Clinical Simulation Resources Consortium Award from the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Smith was selected for the NLN’s 2023 LEAD leadership institute, and in 2021, she was one of 12 individuals nationwide selected for the NLN’s Scholarly Writing Program. She has served the NLN as an Historically Black Colleges and Universities Education Coach and as a co-facilitator for the Faculty Intensives program.

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